


You Were There

by LBibliophile



Series: The Duty of a Prince [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Agni Kai (Avatar), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bingo Fill, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh is an OK Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Poetry, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Self-Aware Zuko, Whumptober 2020, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko's Scar (Avatar), he tries but sometimes that isn't enough, or at least plans on finding and joining the avatar, the sacrifice of the 41st, zuko technically wins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26893231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBibliophile/pseuds/LBibliophile
Summary: Did you see, Uncle? Did you know? Because you were there.For Whumptober 2020 - day 12: broken trust
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Duty of a Prince [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934569
Comments: 7
Kudos: 76
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	You Were There

**Author's Note:**

> The first half of this poem is essentially a summary of the series to-date; check out the others for extra context.
> 
> I love Uncle Iroh, but he is also rather too closely tied up in the whole Agni Kai/banishment situation. There are reasons why he acted as he did (or didn't), but a Zuko who blames himself less will (rightfully) place at least some of that blame on Iroh instead.

Did you see, Uncle?  
The meeting where it all went wrong  
You told me to stay silent, and I tried  
But those recruits are the future of our nation  
Built by their hands not bought with their blood  
I could not let them be lost without care  
Did you see, Uncle? Because you were there. 

Did you know, Uncle?  
I spoke of duty and loyalty and honour  
Of respect due as well as owed  
Yet in my heart, my thoughts were of _you  
_Of your grief, your pain, of your soldier boy  
Who will never come marching home  
Did you know, Uncle? Well now you do. 

Did you see, Uncle?  
When noon hit its peak, and the Agni Kai began  
I turned and found my challenger  
As a loyal son, I offered surrender  
As an honourable prince, I fought  
As an outmatched child, I was branded with his victory  
Did you see, Uncle? Because you were there. 

Did you know, Uncle?  
An Agni Kai ends at the first brush of flame  
Yet the mark he left was undeniable  
But before he struck he paused in shock  
For, against the odds, by Agni’s will  
_My_ flame had touched him first  
Did you know, Uncle? Well now you do. 

Did you see, Uncle?  
A child-prince, dishonoured and maimed  
Was yet such a threat, I was banished  
‘To seek the Avatar’ - such a pretty lie  
He never means for me to return  
Or to honour his decree if I do  
Did you see, Uncle? Because you were there. 

Did you know, Uncle?  
The best lies hold a kernel of truth  
So, the Avatar, I _will_ find  
Because I love my country  
And I will save my country  
And at this point, nothing less will do  
Do you know _why_ , Uncle? Do you see? 

It’s because _you were there  
_Yet _I_ am _here_

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't quite fit it in here, but the Fire Sages overseeing the Agni Kai absolutely saw who actually won. But they looked at the Prince who had just been publically granted Agni's favour. And they looked at the Fire Lord, who had responded to losing to this Prince - his son - by burning half the boy's face off. Then they decided that they weren't willing to take the risk of speaking out.  
> 


End file.
